Hiraeth
by Adeliner
Summary: Just letting Hiccup live a normal life would be to boring for the gods. So when life on Berk gets a little too boring, they throw a wrench at Hiccup and Toothless, in the form of time travel. How's a dragon and a rider to survive when the whole island is calling for their blood? Set after HTTYD 2.
1. A Sudden Bolt

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III was completely and utterly bored for the first time in months. After the fight with Drago his life had been a whirlwind; his father was dead, his mother was not-so dead after all, and Hiccup was settling into his new role as chief. Not to mention Toothless, who was also trying to find solid ground in his role as the alpha. The long hot summer days faded into crisp autumn nights without the duo noticing, and it wasn't until the first icy winter winds assaulted the small island that Hiccup realized how much time had passed. Nearly four months since the battle, and Hiccup now found himself dealing with the grim reality of being chief; dealing with the people. With the first frost on the horizon Berk was busy with preparation, a whole new crop of issues rose, and when no solution could be found, the problem fell on Hiccup.

"I was promised three pounds of mutton and a new pan for those furs," Hilda groveled, "instead I got a pound of fish and a new ladle. Tell Vera to pay-"

"Well, I was under the impression I would be getting 'The finest fur in Berk' so when I received hides with holes and rough pelts I payed what I saw fit!" Vera fumed.

"Oh get off your high horse! The air is cold early, and the winter will be long and harsh. You need what fur you can get!" Hilda spit back.

Just as Vera began to open her mouth, Valka came bursting through the doors of the hall. "Excuse us if you please," she addressed Hilda and Vera "I need to speak with my son. This issue can be taken up tomorrow." The feuding women left the hall, still snapping at each other, while Hiccup thanked the gods above from saving him from his boredom.

"What's wrong Mom?" Hiccup asked, stepping down from his seat. However, her mouth twisted up in a mischievous grin.

"Nothing really. But you've been so busy lately- not to mention you must be exhausted from solving half of Berk's problems- and I thought you could use a break."

"Wow, uh Mom, that was really thoughtful and everything," Hiccup ran an uneasy hand through his hair, avoiding his mother's gaze, "It's just that, well, Berk kinda needs me and-"

"Nonsenes." Valka cut him off. "You've been working for nearly four months straight, you're only human Hiccup. You need a break. Within a week the frost will come and soon after it will set and stay. Enjoy the last of autumn. And I think you'll find something waiting at the edge of town."

* * *

True to Valka's words, when Hiccup reached the edge of the town he saw Astrid on Stormfly, with Toothless lounging in the fading sun next to them. "Nice of you to finally show up." Astrid teased.

"Well, all my very important chiefly duties keep me busy," Hiccup smiled back "Have you had the honor of sorting out Vera and Hilda's trades? I didn't think so."

" Oh come on Hiccup," Astrid rolled her eyes, "We should get going, it's only an hour til sundown. And the sun doesn't stay up just for you and your 'important chiefly duties."

"Hey, now, not just important. _Very_ important."

"Oh yes, silly me, how could I have forgotten? Berk would fall apart without you."

The two flew above the island, gliding easily alongside the other. It had been too long since they had enjoyed an afternoon like this, and Toothless' soft pur seemed to show that he had also been missing his rider. Above the world, all the troubles seemed so small. With the fresh air blowing past his face, the sun melting into the ocean, and the warmth and comfort of Toothless radiating, Hiccup couldn't remember the last time he had felt this good.

Which, Hiccup decided later, was probably why the gods decided to mess everything up. They were never content to just let Hiccup be.

A bolt of lightning split the sky in two. Hiccup and Toothless both fell back in surprise at the sudden storm. Clouds rolled in out of nowhere, and began to blur the sky until Hiccup couldn't see two feet in front of his face. "Astrid!" he yelled in a panic, searching the sky. "Come on bud, you can find them," he whispered to Toothless, hoping that the dragon's shaper senses might be useful. The rain began to pelt down, and Hiccup secured his mask over his face, signalling to Toothless to move as fast as he could. Toothless's head darted across the sky as he spun in a circle, but he failed to pick up on Stormfly or her rider. With a soft jerk of the head he motioned back to Berk.

With the clouds beginning to vanish nearly as quickly as they appeared, Hiccup could see the small town in the distance. And something was definitely wrong. Without a word, the pair shot down towards Berk, Hiccup shifted the tailfin for maximum speed. They were still far aways when Hiccup could clearly see the blaze lighting up the town. Black smoke filled the air, and with the sun gone Hiccup couldn't understand what was happening. Screams and dragon roars alike reached his ears as he reached the town, but Hiccup was only focused on one detail. A hulking man had his grip on Stormfly, and Astrid was nowhere in sight. In the confusion Hiccup didn't stop to make sense of the situation, but instead dove towards the man in a brave, albeit foolish, stunt. He landed in a clearing, to the back of the man. "Why are you doing this," he called, "It doesn't have to be this way." Despite he plea, the large man still continued his struggle to bring Stormfly to the ground. "Hey," Hiccup called, drawing his blazing sword while behind him toothless bared his teeth, igniting his inner-flame. _Nightfury._ Some of the attackers stopped, turning to watch the scene unfold. "Face me," Hiccup spat out. Slowly, the hulking figure turned towards Hiccup and Toothless. The firelight began to illuminate the man's face, and as it did, Toothless began to draw back and Hiccup nearly dropped his sword. Because standing in front of them, beard red and full as ever, was Stoick the Vast.


	2. Chaos

Of all the possible outcomes of the situation, Hiccup could honestly say that seeing his father- his _dead_ father- was not something he had ever considered. _Because it didn't happen._ He had watch the ship sail off to take his father to Valhalla, he had grieved in private and with Berk. Most importantly he had stepped up to take the role of chief. So there was no way in all the realms that his father could be standing in front of him. But, impossibly, there Stoick stood, fighting a dragon nonetheless.

Hiccup's mind buzzed with thousands of questions as the world around him seemed to freeze. He lowered his sword and stumbled backwards, trying to talk a calming breath. Not only was Hiccup stuck in an impossible situation, he was in an impossible situation surrounded by two dozen angry vikings. Even with Toothless behind him, Hiccup didn't like the odds of success in a fight against the men. Not to mention that he _knew_ them, he had shared drinks with half of them not two nights ago. He was thankful he was wearing his riding mask though, Hiccup wasn't sure how anyone would react if they recognized him. And in all honestly, Hiccup wasn't sure how he would react if they _didn't_ recognize him. Taking a small step backwards he reached his arm back to touch Toothless while keeping his head up and level with Stoick's. As the man (Hiccup refused to think of him as his dad) began to lumber towards the duo.

"Come on bud," Hiccup whispered, "Let's get out of here for now." He took another step backwards, ready to make the sudden leap onto the dragon's back. For now, Hiccup decided, the best plan would be to get away from the pandemonium and sort out his thoughts, then he could deal with whatever _this_ was. Toothless, however, seemed to have a different idea. The nightfury spread its wings and jumped forward, pinning Stoick to the ground. Angry cries rose from the crowd as men rushed towards their leader, ready to smite the beast.

Despite the panic surrounding him, Toothless was happily licking Stoick's face.

Hiccup drove his face downwards and into his hand. _Of course_ , he thought, _that useless reptile had to pick now to get sentimental._ He knew that Toothless carried the burden of Stoick's death, albeit unnecessarly. The dragon had been used by Drago as a means to an end; a sickening tool to help Drago gain control of all the dragons. While Hiccup had forgiven Toothless, the dragon still couldn't help but feel responsible. And now, the man whose disappearance had caused Toothless- and Hiccup- so much grief was standing in front of them. Toothless just _had_ to give him a warm welcome.

The welcome was not well received. Stoick began to struggle, and with his hands pinned to his sides, all he could do was try to headbutt the dragon currently giving him a saliva bath. "Get them," Stoick yelled to the other men, who had been standing awestruck by the sight of not only a nightfury, but also stunned by the fact a man would be insane enough to actually _ride_ one.

Seeing the chaos that followed Toothless' joyful outburst, Hiccup knew they had to get out of the clearing. Fast. "Toothless," he yelled, running toward the dragon, "We're leaving. Uh like now." He yanked on the dragons harness, trying to turn him away from Stoick so they could take off towards the skies. Hiccup's attempt didn't last very long. The men had reached them, and were now surrounding Toothless, trying to bring him to the ground. Hiccup's mind flashed back to all those years ago, when Toothless broke into the arena when he was supposed to kill a dragon. At the time Toothless had been brought down fairly easy for a beast of his size. Now though, he wasn't about to be held down so easily. Once again, Toothless ignited his inner flame, sending off the men who had been holding him. Turning hostile at the attackers, he barred his teeth and sent a plasma blast into the crowd of advancing men.

 _We might just get out of this_ , Hiccup thought to himself. Toothless was holding his ground and the men in the clearing were beginning to become confused, opening the perfect window for escape. Unfortunately, Hiccup had forgotten to account for something. While last time a horde of vikings had attacked Toothless, they left Hiccup alone. But now, he was their enemy as well. When Toothless had ignited his inner flame, he had jumped backwards, freeing Stoick and leaving Hiccup standing next to him. In the confusion, Hiccup had turned away, forgetting to be wary of the man he had trusted for nearly twenty years.

But when Stoick kicked out Hiccup's prosthetic leg and drove his face into the dirt, Hiccup realized his mistake very quickly. "Go Bud! Get out of here!" he yelled to his partner. The dragon made eye contact, giving him a questioning look. "GO!" Hiccup yelled, and Toothless took a moment, but then began to run off, jumping over the vikings towards the woods at the edge of the village. Better for Toothless to be free than for both of them to be caught.

"What kind of man are you to make allies with the beast who razed our homes and killed our families," hissed Stoick as he drove the blunt end of the axe into the back of Hiccup's head. The world began to fade away, leaving Hiccup with images of a world on fire before it faded to black.

* * *

 **AN:** So I couldn't sleep tonight. Bad for me, but you get a new chapter. This is my first ever piece of fanfiction (or published writing in general) so all reviews, comments, support, and critiques are greatly appreciated. Thanks to those who have already reviewed. I'm aiming to update this story 2 or 3 times a week, but that might change if I am busy. Thanks! ~Adeliner


	3. Alone and Afraid

Toothless was alone and afraid. Whoever that man was, he may have looked like the chief, sounded like the chief, and even _smelled_ like the chief, but he most most certainly not the chief. Toothless decided that when he watched 'Stoick' bash in the back of Hiccup's head with the end of his axe. Seeing Hiccup captured was torture, and Toothless struggled to leave him behind, but he knew that the only thing more useless than a downed dragon rider was a downed dragon. Hiccup was smart; he was resourceful and creative. Also, despite the boy's- no, man's- awkwardness, he did have the strange ability to make others see reason. And if worst came to worst, Toothless was fairly confident in his ability to carry out a stealth rescue.

As he made his way deeper into the woods, Toothless began to realize another oddity of his situation. _There were no dragons._ Usually these woods teemed with dragons; small clusters of Terrible Terrors often gathered around ponds, Gronkles munched on rocks, even the odd Monstrous Nightmare made it's home in the woods if not living in the village. But today the woods were completely quiet. _Where are you all?_ Toothless thought as he disappeared further into the darkness, trying to distance himself from the horrible imitations of the vikings he knew.

* * *

Hiccup was alone and afraid. When he came to he could see the first rays of light breaking the darkness through a small window in his cell, covered with bars. He wasn't surprised to wake up in a cell per se, but he was disappointed that his night from hell had not, in fact, been a dream. He groaned as he sat up, rubbing the massive goose egg on the back of his head. The movement caused a wave of nausea to roll through his body. _Deep breaths_ , he told himself. Unfortunately, Hiccup quickly discovered that was not a good idea. The air was still heavy with smoke from the night before, and filling his lungs with the haze only sent him into a coughing fit, and made his stomach do another backflip. He leaned over and vomited. Sinking back onto the cool floor, Hiccup lay there for a few moments, trying to collect his thoughts. Reaching up to wipe off his mouth, the gears in his mind began to spin.

 _Well my mask is gone,_ he thought, _I wonder if they recognized me. Or made any sort of connection._ He sat up again, slowly this time, and frowned. _Of course they took my damned leg._ Running his hand along his stump, Hiccup began to worry. Not being able to walk would hinder an escape after all. Unsurprisingly, his sword and other weapons were missing too. The cell itself wasn't too intimidating. Simple and wooden, with a wrought iron window and door. In one corner was an empty bucket, and some hay was scattered on the floor. Thankfully, the greater part of the cell was flammable. A serious design flaw in Hiccup's opinion, but with Toothless' help he bring the room to the ground in minutes. Hiccup frowned again though. It _was_ a serious flaw to have wooden cells in a town which had often spent more time on fire than not on fire. In fact, he was certain these cells hadn't been used since a new stone prison was built nearly seven years ago. _What's going on?_ Hiccup sighed.

Everything had come crashing down so quickly, one minute he was enjoying a peaceful ride with Astrid. The next, he was surrounded by insane vikings. Even when the insane vikings were on his side, Hiccup was still wary of them. Also there was the small detail that his _dead_ father had attacked him, seemingly unaware that he should have been in Valhalla, not attacking dragons. Astrid was still missing, which worried Hiccup, but she was strong and clever, and he knew she would be alright. Hiccup reasoned that since the mysterious storm separated them, hopefully she was left out of this insanity. The reassurance he gave himself did not change his desire to return home; he had to make sure that Astrid, his mom, and the rest of Berk were all safe. As chief it was his job.

* * *

As chief, it was Stoick's job to make sure that the people of Berk were safe. Safety was paramount to living a decent life, and without basic security Berk would never prosper. Stoick was pleased to say that despite the constant dragon attacks, Berk _did_ prosper. There was trading and farming, baking and sewing, just a few things on the endless list of Berkian highlights. Despite the dragons, this was their home, and had been for generations. Vikings were a stubborn clan, and over time they learned how to deal with the winged problem swiftly, and began to minimize the damaged. Until last night. A nightfury, for Thor's sake, had shown itself with a _rider_ on it's back. And the whole village went to hell. He managed to take down the man, if one could call someone low enough to be an ally to the dragons a _man_ , but he beast had gotten away. While the rider was dragged off to the dungeons, he swiftly sent out a search party for the beast. The strange harness it wore, and the way it ran and glided instead of flying, seemed to mean that the dragon needed to rider to take to the skies. Two dozen of Berk's finest men and women went off after the animal, but finding a nightfury in a pitch black forest was next to impossible. After a few hours of daylight and still no luck, Stoick sent his people home to rest. But there was no rest for a chief. Instead he went down to the forge to talk with Gobber.

Gobber had left the search after only an hour, he had been called back to examine the weapons pulled off the man. Also, a peg leg and hook hand didn't exactly lend themselves to the "silent tracking" that was being carried out. When Stoick arrived he saw Gobber standing in front of a table with the rider's possessions splayed across to the top. "You'll want to have a look at this," Gobber said, handing Stoick the fake leg first. "It's genius really, all of it. I mean if he wasn't a traitor to humans I wouldn't mind learning how he made that. It would really make things more comfort-"

"Gobber."

"Right, right, sorry," Gobber mumbled, "anyways it's really quiet clever. The way he's made this allows for it to bend, as a real foot would. It'd make it a hell of a lot easier to run and move than with this old thing." He clanked his metal peg against the floor.  
"Why does it spin?' Stoick frowned, pulling the mechanism in the fake foot, revealing a metal rod that would be very hard to walk on.

"Ah well… This is just an idea but I'm thinking it connects to the beast's harness, which I'm guessing he made too. When he got off the dragon, Asger saw him spin this around before he was on his feet." Gobber rubbed the back of his head uneasily. The craftsmanship on all these items was wonderful, these pieces were unique and gave him several ideas for new designs of his own. _How could such a clever man be so stupid as to choose dragons before his own brothers?_ The question troubled him. _The man must be mad._

"Disgusting," spat Stoick, "He's more beast than human." He ran his hand along the groove in the metal. "Are you sure these are his designs? Or could he have a partner?"

"Fairly certain they're his. Even if he did have a partner, he must have helped create these. You saw as well as I how easily he rode the dragon, how comfortable he was with that infernal flaming sword," as he mentioned the sword, Gobber tossed it to Stoick to examine. "Just like how each viking isn't entirely comfortable with a weapon until he's adjusted the handle or she's sharpened the axe. This man is a clever one, and we can't underestimate him."

"Understood," Stoick grunted, looking over the sword. He wouldn't admit that he couldn't understand the design, or how in all the nine realms the rider had managed to make the infernal device be covered with _flame._ "And what of the other weapons?"

"Just as strange. This one here seems to be filled the gas from a Zippleback, the smallest spark and he could create a decent fireball. Besides a small knife, everything here seems to be inspired by _dragons._ "

Looking at everything, Stoick decided he had enough. Whoever this deranged man was, he needed to find out his story and most importantly _why_ he ever decided to befriend the beasts. In all his life, humans and dragons were enemies. Despite the different leaders he had fought, the distant lands he had seen, there was one constant _dragons and humans did not get along._ But now, here in his land, were two mysterious outliers who threatened to disrupted the safety of his people. "Let's go talk with him, Stoick decided.

As the chief and the blacksmith left the shop, a small boy crawled from behind an old cracked shield. Everyone had been talking about the dragon and its rider all night, he had to find out the truth for himself. The twins claimed he was a demon, straight out of the underworld. Fishlegs instead it was a new class of dragon, one that could disguise itself as a person. But as the young boy ran his hand over an 'H' carved onto the bottom of a familiar knife he wasn't quite sure what to think anymore.

* * *

 **AN:** A little longer chapter this time! I've got to admit, I'm having so much fun writing this that I might do more shorter chapters than a few longer ones. Thanks to everyone who review, it's really encouraging and makes me want to write more. Thanks! ~Adeliner


	4. The One with the Feelings

Valka frowned. "So he just disappeared? Without a trace?"

Astrid nodded back. "We were flying together, everything was fine. Then there was just a loud crack, I mean it sounded like thunder, and the next thing I knew Hiccup was gone."

Valka could tell the young woman had been crying, her eyes had a slight tinge of red and were slightly puffy, but she had wiped away her tears and put on a strong face. The people of Berk did not need any more problems. With winter on the horizon, two weeks earlier than most years, the village was struggling to collect itself before the island froze over. The annual issues of things such as food storage, home repairs, supplies for the Berkians, and many other mundane problems kept them busy enough. Valka couldn't imagine what would happen if the news of a vanished chief got to the people.

"And no one else knows?" She questioned.

"No," replied Astrid, "I did a quick search of the area nearby with Stormfly, there was nothing." She flopped down in the chair, blowing her bangs out of her face. The small room was cozy, heated by a small fire. "Something's wrong Valka. Hell, even for _Hiccup_ this is not normal. I don't know what to do."  
"I'm afraid I don't know either dear," Valka sat down next to Astrid and placed a comforting hand on her arm. "But we'll figure this out. Oh, somehow we always manage."

"Thank you," Astrid's voice trembled slightly; she choked back a sob. Reaching forward she embraced Valka.

"Now why don't you go get some rest. It's late; there's no use staying up tonight. We'll get a fresh start in the morning." As she broke the hug Valka smiled at the young woman who had been a daughter to her in the last few months.

But as soon as Astrid closed the house door, Valka let out tears of her own.

She had been enjoying a peaceful evening with a cup of herbal tea. If she was being honest, she needed a break as badly as Hiccup. Adjusting to life back on Berk hadn't been as easy as she had lead her son to believe. After nearly twenty years of life with the dragons, she had forgotten how completely _exhausting_ people could be, always needing or wanting something, whether it was items, power, friendship, love, or just about anything else, people were very needy and often greedy. Dragons, on the other hand, were happy as long as they were fed and loved.

When she first returned, she was given a warm welcome into the community. But as the weather grew cold, so did the people's hearts. Some resented her for leaving, for choosing dragons over her own family. There was ample opportunity for her to return, to send word that she was alright, but instead she hid herself away. To afraid to face her fears, some said. When Hiccup had shown up that day, her heart had skipped several beats. Yes, she was beyond joyful to see her son. But when she realized that he had taken after her, her heart stung. She had left him behind, a gentle soul in a harsh world. Seeing Stoick was worse. In her mind he was a mountain; he was harsh, but strong. For better or for worse he didn't bend to the winds of change. Yet he had changed. He had welcomed his son and together the two brought Berk into a new era. _Without her._ She had let her fears and anxiety rule her life for so long, and for a brief moment there was a glimmer of hope that they could be a family again. _They could have been happy._

She sank down the floor and hugged her knees to her chest. "Please gods," she whispered, resting her forehead on her knees. "Bring my boy home." Her small sobs filled the night.

* * *

Hiccup could hear footsteps coming up the hall of the dungeons. He could even feel small vibrations in the floor. _Oh wonderful,_ he thought, _there's only a few people on Berk who could shake the earth itself._ He lay back on the floor, closing his eyes and bundled his hands on his chest.

Sure enough, within seconds a voice thundered "We need to talk."

Just what Hiccup needed. He was lost and confused, with at least a minor head injury, and now his dad wanted to _talk_. Hiccup hated that phrase, and unpleasant memories always followed his father's little chats. One of the first talks ended with Hiccup working in the forge instead of going and fighting with the other kids his age. Another had landed him in the arena, trying to get him to kill a dragon. And, perhaps the worst of all, was when Hiccup and Astrid had started to see eachother more often, it wasn't just _a_ talk his father had with him. It was _the_ talk. He still shuddered to think of that.

But Hiccup had a feeling that whatever was coming would be much, _much_ , worse. "Alright," he replied, letting out a ragged breath. He rolled up, but refused to meet the eyes of Stoick and Gobber. He couldn't do that yet.

"What's your name?" It was Gobber this time, his voice less angry than Stoicks.

"Eret, uh, Eretson," Hiccup lied.

"Where are you from?" asked Stoick this time.

" Uh, the Edgeston Island? It's really far away, you probably haven't heard of-"

"So why are you here?" Stoick cut him off.

"Err, well you see, it may be a bit of a, uh, long story…" Hiccup scratched the back of his head uncomfortably.

"We have time." Even Gobber sounded impatient. Hiccup wasn't used to that. Unable to come up with an answer he kept his gaze locked on the two men's feet. Well, three feet and peg.

"I can't tell you," He kept his voice strong, and the authority it carried even surprised Hiccup slightly.

"Look at me," Stoick said, his words low and steady. Hiccup stubbornly kept his head down. "Maybe you didn't hear me. I said: Look. At. Me." Stoick's tone was dangerous now, filled with hatred he had only heard directed at enemies before.

Slowly Hiccup looked up. He had dreamed about getting to see his father again since his death, but now he was looking at face marred with disgust. It was breaking his heart. As he locked eyes with his father, he watched the loathing morph into a mask of surprise.

* * *

The young boy, who had been hiding behind a shield listening to the conversation between his father and Gobber, now sat in his room, a knife in each hand. As far as he could tell, they were identical. Down to the last stitch, these knives were the same. Except one he had carefully crafted in the forge when he first began his apprenticeship with Gobber, and the other had been pulled off of a dragon-riding, deranged, psychotic, mad man. And yes, Hiccup knew that statement was repetitive. But he didn't know what else to say. How could be crazy enough to _ride_ a dragon? And from the stories he had heard (when the man had shown up he was stuck in the forge as per usual) the man and dragon moved in sync, as partners. He ran his hand through his hair and frowned. Hiccup was sick of being constantly left out, of always being the one trailing behind. Determined to, for once, be the first to know what was happening, he shoved both knifes into his vest pocket and made his way to the prisons. _After all, it was his father's fault for leaving the keys lying around,_ he thought, _he should be more careful._

* * *

Stoick was storming away from the prisons, Gobber hobbled after him. "You gotta talk to me!" Gobber instead, but he knew that not much would cause the chief to open up. Since the two had been friends for years, there wasn't much that Stoick kept tight lipped about. The two were practically brothers, they had no secrets. Which is why Gobber had been so shocked to see that the dragon riding man. Sure, he was leaner and with darker red hair, but those unmistakable green eyes were definitely Stoick's. Even his voice sounded like the chief's. More than anything, Gobber was surprised the boy had reminded him of Valka. It had been nearly thirteen years since she was killed, but the minute he saw the prisoner, is mind jumped back to his old friend's face. But Stoick and Valka had only one child, Hiccup. He had to be at least twenty, and that would place his birth before Valka and Stoick met. So who was this man? "Stoick!" Gobber yelled at his friend.

"Tell the council members to meet me here," Stoick threw the doors the the council hall open, "Now." He slammed the doors behind him.

 _Great,_ Gobber thought. _A dragon shows up, with a rider that just happens to be the spitting image of Stoick and Valka's son. This isn't going to end well._ For as well as Gobber knew Stoick, his family had always been a sore spot. For them he tended to throw rational thinking aside. As Gobber lumbered off collect the council members, he prayed to the gods this would end better than what he was picturing.

* * *

Lying in his cell, Hiccup slowly raised his head and dropped it to the floor. He was still nauseous and exhausted, worried and stressed. And stuck in prison. When his father saw his face, he took off without another word, and Gobber followed. Hiccup knew that Stoick had seen him as a disappointment in his younger years, and him turning up on the back of a dragon was probably sending him through a loop. His relationship with his father had never been the best; the two always walked on eggshells around each other. Even in the days before his death, the two couldn't see eye to eye on Hiccup's role and his ability to be a leader. His father had seen that he could lead Berk before Hiccup realized he could. He wished he could thank his father for, well, everything. But now here he was facing a crude imitation of Stoick and-

A small bump behind Hiccup caused his head to swivel. He had been lost in thought and didn't hear anyone in the hall. But as he looked up from the ground his jaw dropped in surprise, which he had thought he was out of for the time being. Looking into his cell, equally as stunned, was a younger version of himself.

* * *

 **AN:** Well there's chapter four! I hope you all liked it. More introspection than in the previous ones, but do not despair action lovers, there is definitely more to come. Also, if you enjoyed the introspection please let me know, and I will try and work more in. Whatever you like, dislike, hate, love, please let me know. This fanfiction is for you, I'm just the one with the idea. Thanks to everyone for all the reviews and encouragement, it means a lot. Thanks for reading! ~Adeliner


	5. Hiccup, Meet Hiccup

In general, Stoick was a good chief. Firm, yet reasonable. Above all, the best interest of Berk always guided his decisions. Except when it involved his family. Valka had always been a sore spot for the chief, and his son even more so. The boy was small, weak, and seemed to lack common sense. He ran into dangerous situations without thinking, trying to prove himself to be just as worthy as any other viking his age. But Hiccup wasn't like any other of the kids his age, which always bothered Stoick. Someday the boy would be chief, yet he couldn't wield a sword or throw an axe. How could he keep Berk safe? Although he kept his fears hidden, Gobber understood the chief's worries. A few of his closest advisors also guessed as much. Hiccup worked wonders in the forge, skilled and precise, but he was a craftsman at heart, not a warrior. Stoick's complex with his own son did not help his reaction to the dragon rider. The man's resemblance to Hiccup-hell he was nearly a spitting image-struck a nerve in Stoick. It seemed as if the gods wanted to play a cruel joke; send him the strong, confident, warrior of a son he hoped for, except make him fight with the enemy. Stoick sighed as he sunk down into the chair at the head of the council table. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

The two Hiccups stared at each other. _As if this day wasn't strange enough…_ thought the older. It was rather odd to see himself so young. The younger boys hair stuck more to his face, his arms and legs were too long and stuck out at awkward angles. However, the strangest sight of all was the boy's two feet. Losing his foot had a tremendous impact on Hiccup's life, from there he had learned that his actions did have permanent consequences; even the most noble acts had their price. And, as dumb as it might sound, he had never really had a good last look at his foot. One day he just woke up and it was gone, and Hiccup adjusted from there. But now, seeing his younger self all short and awkward and two footed, caused a sudden surge of emotion as he realized just how much changed in the past few years. This younger Hiccup, _oh Thor that was weird to think,_ had to be around thirteen or maybe fourteen. No longer a child, but still before he had really grown. Both physically and mentally. Seeing his younger self confirmed another thought. At first, he wondered if perhaps he might have been in a strange alternate world, one where dragons and vikings continued to be vikings. Now though, only one logical explanation remained. He was in the past. The gods must hate him.

"Er… Hello?" It was the younger boy's wavering voice that broke the silence. _Gods, did I really sound like that?_ The older thought.

"Uh, hi I guess," the older responded, "You probably have about a million questions. But I do to, so I guess we'll both be disappointed when we don't get answers." He started to roll to turn his back away from his younger self. Maybe he would just leave.

"Woah, woah wait," Hiccup cursed himself for being so stubborn. That he had gotten from his father. "You have got to help me out. Even a little. Anything you can tell me is more than I know now. All of Berk is talking about you. The totally crazy insane dragon-loving man. And maybe you're not even a man! Ruff and Tuff were telling anyone who would listen you're a demon at breakfast today. 'Legs says you're really a dragon who shapeshifts into a human to gather information and then strike humans when we're most vulnerable. Hell, with all the chaos and confusion you've been causing, I wouldn't be surprised if you were some embodiment of Loki or-"

"I'm you." He cut his younger self off. Thankfully over the years he had dropped his habit of rambling- it was rather annoying. Also, most of the time it was better to listen to understand than spew nonsense.

"You're _me?"_ young Hiccup was incredulous, "That- that's not possible. I mean you're _you_ and I'm _me._ I mean look at me! You're old and well…"

The elder didn't let him get any further. "I know this is crazy. I can hardly believe it myself. But I swear to the gods I am telling the truth."

"Okay. Okay. This is crazy," the younger flopped down on the ground, running his hand through his hair, "but I believe you. But why on earth are you working with dragons? They've destroyed Berk more times than I can even count, they've hurt so many people. They killed our mother. So why did you choose _them_ over _us?"_

The elder sighed, now running his hand through his hair. _How much do I tell him?_ He wondered. Nothing good could come of know one's future. But, Hiccup didn't have any memory of this incident. He decided to err on the side of caution anyways. "The dragons- they're not our enemies. It might be hard to see that now, but I'm telling you the truth. None of _this_ ," he gestured around him, "is there fault. They are not enemies. I don't think I should tell you too much more, we don't know what this information could do. But you'll have to trust me."

"I think I believe," the younger said, pulling something out of his vest pocket, "And well, I think this must be yours." He slid the knife through the bars towards the older. "That's part of why I came down to see you. I made it myself- I mean, you already knew that- but the point is there isn't any other knife like it. So I guess you must be me then."

The knife only had made it roughly halfway across the cell before it skidded to a stop on the rough wooden floor. Hiccup hoisted himself upwards, causing another bolt of pain to travel through his head. Stoick had one hell of a hit. Also, without his prosthetic foot or any crutches, walking was out of the question. He had no choice to but crawl in shame towards the knife. _At least no one is seeing this but me_ he told himself. He tucked the knife inside a pocket on his riding gear, making sure latches were closed so no one could see it. He also realized that his younger self was staring at his stump. "I probably shouldn't tell you that story either," he chuckled, "But I probably deserved it. It is a pain in the ass though, I'm pretty useless without my prosthetic."

"Yeah I can see that." The thought of losing a limb made the younger obviously uncomfortable.

"Well, not entirely useless. I have a plan."

* * *

Gobber had gathered the council-all groaning and grumbling from lack of sleep- and they now sat around the table in the council hall. It had been a long time since any of them saw Stoick so, well, angry. Usually when dealing with enemies his passion came from protecting the people and Berk. But today he was simply fuming. Gobber even thought his beard was more red than usual.

"This man, this, this, infernal _creature_ needs to be dealt with. And fast. He comes to our home, and has the audacity to show up on the back of a dragon. He says his name is Eret, but he lies. Not a truthful word escaped his mouth. He's not only dangerous, the _idea_ of him is dangerous. He should not exist," Stoick addressed the council.

"The dragon hasn't been found either," Magnhild pointed out.

"No one feels safe with a nightfury running around the island. This is the first time we've even ever _seen_ one. We have no clue what it is capable of- or what the rider is for that matter," Spitelout said, "Freja was afraid to let our children go outside today, for fear of the nightfury. The longer we go without a solution, the more Berk will worry."

"But the dragon is useless without its rider," Egil added, "we all saw it that night. It _ran_ away. Not flew."

"He's right," Helka said, "That beast jumped right over our heads and ran into the woods. The men and women looking for it might not have found it yet, but that nightfury isn't getting anywhere without that man."

Gobber frowned. He could see the gears in the chief's brain turning, thinking. He had conveniently left out the part about the traitor looking exactly like his son. Besides him and Stoick, the only two who had seen the man's face were Helka and Garth, who had dragged him to the cell and stripped him of the weapons. Garth hadn't mentioned anything, although he wasn't the smartest of vikings. Helka hadn't said anything either, and she was quite clever. So she hadn't made the connection or ignored any passing resemblance to the chief. That left only the two who knew the truth, and Gobber couldn't fight the feeling something was very wrong. And if he knew the chief-which he did- what was about to happen wouldn't help the situation.

"Then I can see only one course of action to stop both the man and beast. If no one objects, the prisoner will be executed at dawn."

No one dared to protest.

* * *

Hiccup couldn't believe he had let his older self talk him into this. Sure, the plan was good, simple but with a high chance of success, but he just seemed so, well, crazy. _Who shows up on a dragon hating island on the back of the most dangerous dragon of all?_ Hiccup wondered. _Maybe I should invest in a helmet. But then again, I'm here now, so maybe I've always been insane._

The deep inner forests of Berk were thick with roots and brush, and had canopies that blocked most of the light from reaching the ground. It made for a difficult journey, that left Hiccup with several scratches, sore ankles, and a face-full of dirt. It wasn't often he journeyed so far into the woods, in fact, he couldn't remember the last time he had been this far in. He still was surprised that he had followed through on this part, wild dragons often ran through these woods. But here he was, looking for a godsforsaken dragon. And not just any dragon, a nightfury.

After the strange meeting, the older Hiccup had given him three clear duties. The first involved finding his dragon, Toothless. So after he left the cells, he went down to the docks and picked up some fish, on the advice of his older self, and was now heading deeper and deeper into the woods. The further he traveled, the darker it got. He had to be careful, because there were several search parties crawling through these woods on his father's orders as well. He left the fish throughout the forest, making a trail that would hopefully lead the dragon to him. "Toothless," he called softly, since apparently dragons had excellent hearing, "come here. It's me, Hiccup." In all honesty, he didn't know if this would work. The older Hiccup seemed confident it would, but he doubted that a dragon, who was trying to stay hidden, would willing reveal himself. He must have been searching for at least a couple of hours now. "I have fish, your favourite." He had been repeating the same few lines all afternoon; he had no clue what else to say to the dragon.

A sharp crack came from the bushes behind him. He had been careful in his search, he had only run into another viking once. Luckily, he had played it off as being an excited kid looking to see a dragon. Haldor had just laughed and told him to go home. "Hello?" he called. The branches rustled again and he spun around, dropping the fish in surprise. "Who is it?"

He waited and listened, but no response came. The bushes stopped moving as well. _Probably a rabbit, maybe a deer_ he told himself, bending down to pick up the fish. But it was already gone. Instead, he was staring at a jet black pair of claws.

* * *

 **AN:** So this originally was supposed to be a short interlude, but once I got writing I couldn't stop. Hopefully you won't all kill me with all the loose ends I left with this chapter; the next is on it's way (I promise). I've definitely been having a lot of fun with this fic, and I want to thank everyone who has left reviews, follows, and favourites. It keeps me motivated. Hope you enjoyed! ~Adeliner


	6. Operation Save Hiccup's Older Self

Mouth filled with fish, Toothless took an uneasy leap backwards. He thought he had been so cautious today, hiding in the shadows from the crazed vikings. He hid in bushes, behind rocks, under cliffs; anywhere that didn't require flight, He always kept moving, sneaking back into areas they already had searched. Enemies often underestimated his intelligence. Then, finally, he saw fish. After a crazy night and the day following he was starving, and couldn't even hunt out of fear of being caught. But the fish trail had Hiccup's scent, so he carefully followed the path. Hiccup's voice began to become clear the further he followed the trail of fish, until he finally saw a familiar auburn haired boy with a bag full of fish. As he picked up the latest fish, Toothless realized his mistake. He was to short and thin, his jaw was too narrow and voice too high. And he had two feet. After staring at the pair of boots for a minute, he gathered his mind. _This was not Hiccup._ Toothless hissed, baring his teeth. Just as Stoick had tricked him, this Hiccup could not be trusted either. Toothless had to prepare for the worst. Lowering himself into an offensive position-ready to pounce at the slightest movement - he began to move closer to the Hiccup look-a-like.

"Woah, uh,down boy?"

His voice was shaking, unsure of himself. The real Hiccup never wavered around Toothless, the two had been friends for years. They were brothers, and always showed their true feelings around the other.

Toothless let out another low hiss, and moved even closer to the impostor.

"Toothless, I know this sounds crazy. But I guess you're used to crazy?" He raised his hands up, trying to show he meant no harm. "I mean some of the stories he told me… it's incredible what the two of you have done." He let out ragged breath, and seemed to gain some confidence. "But _I am Hiccup._ But not you're Hiccup. Somehow you ended up in the past. Err, well that's what he thinks at least."

Backing down from the boy, Toothless began to walk in circles around the boy. He wanted to hear his story. But he also wanted to make sure he wouldn't get away.

"We have to save your Hiccup. It doesn't look good. All of Berk hates you two. Right now he's stuck in the prisons at the edge of the town, but he gave me a plan."

Toothless squinted his eyes at the boy. His story could be true; at least it would explain why everyone was acting so strange. But it also could be a trap. Unfortunately, with his rider's life on the line, Toothless wasn't sure if he could afford to not trust the boy. He was the best chance at getting out of this mess.

Hiccup took a few steps closer to the dragon. With one last deep breath, he closed his eyes and reached out his hand towards the nightfury's head. "I can't save him without you."

* * *

Hiccup couldn't believe what he had done. Up until last night, no one on Berk had even _seen_ a nightfury. Now, one was following back towards Berk for the second part of his older self's plan. Find Toothless and hide him in the town were the first parts of Operation: Save His Older Self (as the younger called it). On the edge of town sat an abandoned storage house, which had been badly damaged in a fire. No one dared to go in, for they feared it would collapse if you sneezed, but for a nearly indestructible dragon a few fallen beams wouldn't be an issue.

"Okay Toothless," Hiccup whispered to the dragon, "You have to wait here until nightfall. No one's going to find you here I promise." The dragon sent him a sceptical glare, but Hiccup kept talking. "The older me is going to come and find you when it's dark. Then the two of you can fly off into the sunset alright?"

Toothless carefully crept in between fallen logs and nestled himself into a nook. With his black scales blending into the charred wood, and beams obscuring his tailfin, the nightfury was nearly invisible. Even if someone were to come by, Hiccup doubted that anyone would see the dragon. Most of Berk was looking in the forest, checking every cave and canyon for the dragon, no one would even think he was hiding in the village.

"I've got to go before my dad notices I've been gone too long," Hiccup gave Toothless an awkward pat on the head. "Um, get some sleep or something I guess. You're going to be safe now." Hiccup turned and headed down the hill into the village.

* * *

Stoick frowned when Hiccup finally came home for dinner. The fire was nearly dead, and the stew wouldn't be hot for much longer. His clothes were torn and dirty, his face had several small nicks and was also streaked with dirt. And he smelled faintly like fish. "What the hell have you been doing all day?"

"Well you see… I, uhh…"

Stoick crossed his arms and frowned at his son. Had the boy been rolling in filth?

"I wanted to find the nightfury!" Hiccup spat out, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't tell you because I knew you'd never let me go."

"Oh for Thor's sake," Stoick sat down at the table, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Of course I wouldn't have let you go. That monster is dangerous Hiccup. He easily ran from several of our best. Beasts like that can rip you to shreds without trying."

"I know Dad, but I wanted to be helpful for once. I'm always stuck in that damned forge! Maybe, if you just gave me a chance-"

"A chance to what? Get killed?" Stoick's voice began to louden. "The world is dangerous Hiccup. You are not ready. Look at that rider in prison. There are evils in the world beyond your understanding."

Hiccup shrunk back against the wall.

"It's a damned good thing the rider will be executed at dawn."

"Wait, Dad, you can't be serious. He's done nothing to harm anyone…" At this point Hiccup began to shake, his breath becoming rapid.

"Son, as chief it's my job to keep Berk safe. To keep _you_ safe. One day that will be your duty,and you can't be naive, Hiccup. Just because no one's been hurt yet doesn't mean that no one will be. That monster is still out there. And sometimes you have to choose the safety of Berk over one man."

Hiccup sat down at the table with Stoick, tugging on the end of his sleeves. "Isn't there another way though? What if you talked with him, worked out an agreement."

Stoick's frown deepend. "Not everyone is willing to change son. Do you think he'd really turn on his beast?"

Staring down at the table Hiccup gave his head a small shake.

"It's for the best, son. He's a danger to all of Berk." _And an even greater danger to you,_ Stoick added, mentally. He walked over to the fire and pulled the pot of stew off. "Eat up and then head to bed. Tomorrow will be a long day."

As he was leaving the room, Stoick couldn't help lingering on his boy. In truthfulness the rider's resemblance to his son frightened him more than anything had in years. With Valka's death, Hiccup was the only family he had. And Stoick never wanted to remarry. Whatever the enemy had in store, it was a low blow bringing his son into the mess. Stoick had to keep Hiccup safe, and would do anything to make sure his son wasn't harmed.

* * *

Not long after the sun set and the stars began to rise, Hiccup crawled out of his bed. Slipping his vest back on, he tucked his father's key ring into his pocket and made his way down the stairs and out the door, careful not to wake his father. He knew that the outcome hadn't looked good for his older self, but it still surprised him that his dad ordered an execution. It had been years since the last time anyone had been executed, and that man was a brutal war monger from across the sea. It seemed harsh that his father ordered death over the fact the man had simply shown up on a dragon. But despite the air his father gave off, Hiccup knew there was a brain under all that muscle. Brilliant at battle plans, Stoick had no doubt assumed the worst when the traitor was identical to his only child. He probably thought it was a set up, that it was a ploy to get a spy close to the chief of Berk. And Hiccup knew his father cared deeply about him, and if there was a chance he could get hurt by this plot, Stoick took extreme measures to protect Hiccup.

As Hiccup made his way through Berk, he could feel his heart pounding in his chest. From under a thin smoke layer of old fires, the stars were shining brightly overhead. It was one of the nights where the heavens seem infinite, with no moon in the sky to lighten the earth, the stars speckled the night. _Gods help me,_ Hiccup prayed, looking to the sky. The forge seemed foreign at night; without Gobber's hearty laugh or the sparks of the fire it was a new room. Hiccup walked over to the far edge, and stopped in front of the table to take a deep breath. This was it. If anyone ever found out about this, all of Berk would turn on Hiccup. Gathering up his courage, Hiccup took the final step towards the table. He picked up the prosthetic limb with both hands, careful to not damage the limb. _Okay,_ he told himself, _time for part three of the plan: break myself out of jail._

* * *

 **AN:** Woo! Chapter 6 is done (finally)! I really struggled with this one, as it's a bridge to what is going to end up being a several action heavy chapters after this, so I had to do some set up. Please let me know if it shows that I really struggled writing this. Thanks for all the fantastic reviews everyone! ~Adeliner


	7. Midnight Escape

Armed with a bowl of fresh wild berries, topped with honey bread, the younger Hiccup made his way toward the prison. As he made his way through Berk, he was hyper aware of the weight of the prosthetic leg and the fire-sword-whatever weapon neatly tucked into the lining of his vest. One misstep could easily expose him, or at least draw unnecessary attention. The moon was only a sliver in the sky, giving him an added advantage of an extra dark night. There was still a few people walking around Berk, visiting with friends and family, or stumbling home from the tavern. Mostly though, the Berkians were asleep in their homes. _Oh Gods,_ Hiccup thought to himself as he approached the prison, _this better work._

"Torstein! Magnus! Good to see you two," Hiccup called to the guards as he made his way towards the jail. The two bulky men gave him a strange look. "I brought food, Siv told me you hadn't eaten yet so I thought you-"

"We've eaten." Magnus stared down at Hiccup.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Well I could've sworn Siv told me you two… anyways I guess I'll take the berries back. Shame, really. The dining hall is empty for the night and they'll be rotten by tomorrow. These ones are early for the season. It's going to be _at least_ two weeks before there's anymore-"

"Okay Hiccup. We'll have some," Torstein rolled his eyes. Hiccup's tendency to be over-dramatic could easily get on one's nerves. But once he handed over the food, the two guards began to dig in.

"Hey Magnus, you're good with strategy right?" Hiccup questioned the eating guard.

"Some have said so, yes." Magnus was always quite humble. Hiccup had heard stories of his brilliant battle strategies, which aided Berk on multiple occasions. This was a long time ago though; before Hiccup was even born. When Magnus' eldest son died in battle, while using his formation, Magnus settled into the guarding position which he held now. His story had become a sort of legend on Berk, passed around the fire. But he was a good man at heart. Hiccup hoped the crazy plan didn't get Magnus into too much trouble.

"Well perfect. You see, we've been having problems with the berry bushes. The east patch is further away, but the berries are so much better than the western patch. Which is closer, and there's more bushes too. So as a community I think we need to look at what we _really_ want from our food," Magnus and Torstein's eyes were beginning to droop, so Hiccup continued his rant. "I mean, if we just had a few more people, we could plant more bushed in the eastern patch and then also have more to pick and carry the berries back to Berk. But, then again, I might be _completely_ wrong. So… Magnus I need your opinion on this essential, crucial, _vital_ issue."

Magnus stared at Hiccup for a fraction of a second, his hand wrapped tightly around his sword. He opened his mouth, as if to yell, before staggering forward and collapsing into the dirt. Torstein fell to his knees not a moment later, but unlike Magnus, had the strength to lift his head and speak. "Hiccup," his voice was no more than a whisper, "what did you do?" He tried to crawl forward, towards Hiccup's feet, before falling into the ground. Hiccup stared at the two men, slack-jawed and drooling on the ground, and for the first time he began to question what he was doing. He just gave two of Berk's best guards food laced with a stolen sleeping draught, for Thor's sake. He listened to man who claimed to be his older-self, a crazy, dragon-riding older self. All because of a knife, which although rare, could have been replicated if the intruder knew him. Hiccup took a shaky step away from the prison door. _What am I doing?_ He asked himself again. Defining his father, helping a prisoner, hurting guards, befriending dragons, it couldn't be right. He took another step away from the building ready to turn and run. _I've got to leave, I can't do this. What was I-_

"Take your time, I enjoy waiting here," a voice, laced with sarcasm, broke Hiccup's thought bubble. "The dirty floor is really quite comfortable. The stale bread they've given me is wonderful also, this is a fine establishment."

Hiccup swallowed his fear, and pushed his way inside the prison, empty except for one cell that held the one-legged man sitting on the ground. As strange as it was, the more his older self talked and acted, well, like _Hiccup,_ the more confidence the younger had that he wasn't an imposter. Appearance, voice, artifacts, those could all be replicated. But the Hiccup brand sarcasm wasn't easy to duplicate.

"Finally," the older Hiccup sighed, "I was beginning to think you'd given up on me."

The younger shrugged and uneasily scratched the back of his head. "I couldn't give up on myself that easily. And, well, they want to kill you in the morning."

The older, who had managed to remain fairly carefree through this whole ordeal, blinked back in shock. It was one thing to be thrown into a cell, but to think his father was calling for his death… Well, he would rather not think about that. "Thank you." He told his younger self, sobering his tone from the previous flippant comments.

"It's, uh, my pleasure," the younger nodded and unlocked the cell door. He reached into his vest, "here I have your sword-weapon-thing." He tossed it to his older self, who tucked it into his waistband. "And, uh, your leg…" awkwardly reaching down, he passed the limb over.

It was unnerving to see his stump, ragged and scarred. The younger couldn't help but stare, although the older had refused to tell anymore of his life story. One day that would be _his_ leg (or lack of) and Hiccup knew it would be hell when that day finally came. But there wasn't anything he could do to stop whatever caused the accident from happening.

"Damn," the older cursed, trying to adjust the prosthetic. "Those brutes ruined the locking gear," he explained to the younger, pointing to a damaged bit of metal. "Until I lock into the harness, it'll just swing from flight to walking position." To demonstrate, he flicked the rounded 'foot' part, and it swung several times around before it rocked back into a resting position. "Those guards have no appreciation for craftsmanship, I'll tell you." With a slight struggle, the older got to his feet. He shuffle towards the younger, careful to keep his prosthetic on the ground so it wouldn't swing out. "But we'll have to change the plan. I know I told you that you'd be free after I got my leg, but I need help getting to Toothless. All I can really do is shuffle along right now. Once I'm there, I'll lock my leg in and be off. Then you can still say I enchanted you, or blackmailed you, or whatever really. Understand?"

The younger nodded. "Torstein and Magnus will be out for at least a half hour, and it'll be a three quarters of an hour until new guards are here. So let's move." He looped his older self's arm around his, taking as much weight as he could. The pair began to shuffle out of the jail and up the hill, out of Berk and towards the old storehouse.

* * *

Once they reached the top of the hill, the older pulled away from the younger and turned toward his younger self. "Thank you, Hiccup. I couldn't have done this without you. And, uh, I… Well, I know life might be great right now. But it gets better, it really does. Also, umm, well," it was the older's turn to awkwardly shrug, "Just don't be too shy around Astrid." He gave the younger a firm clap on the shoulder, "Now scram before there's more trouble."

"Good luck," the younger called as began to sprint down the hills towards the town. _Back to my home and my dad_ , the older reminisced. Despite there differences, his dad had always been there for him, he cared for Hiccup deeply, and took on the roll of both parents in the absence of Valka. Life hadn't been the same since his passing.

Hiccup shook his head, the nostalgic feelings had to be shelved for now; soon the guards would be swarming these hills. "Toothless!" he hissed into the old storehouse. Out of the black, two yellow slits cut through, and before he knew it the nightfury was pinning him to the grass. "I'm here bud, it's me," he reassured his friend, scratching under his chin, "come on boy, let's get out of this place."

Before he could even protest, he was dripping with dragon saliva. With a loving shove, he got up from under the dragon and began to climb into the harness. "Alright, let's -"

A hard knock to the head sent Hiccup flying into the grass for the second time in the minute. His hand span, and he felt a wave of nausea beginning to rise up again. "Oh Gods," Hiccup was completely disoriented, and would be useless in a fight. He couldn't even walk properly in the first place, and now he was struggling to sit up. "Don't kill me," he raised his hands weakly and closed his eyes, "please." It was pathetic, begging for life, but he didn't have any other options. _Toothless,_ he thought, _do something._

But, after a minute there had been no action either way. He was alive, but Toothless didn't seem to be doing anything. Wearily opening his eyes, Hiccup's mouth dropped as he was who had smacked his head. "Gothi!? What are you doing here?"

The village elder was standing there, one hand on her staff, the other resting on Toothless' nose. She stared at Hiccup before stepping forward, using her staff to crave symbols in the dirt. Squinting at the writing, Hiccup laughed. "What am _I_ doing here? Well, it's a long story how I got here," he gestured around to Berk, "But the reason I'm _here_ here is because I really don't want to die. So if you don't mind, I think we're going to get going…" as he started to stand, Gothi pushed his chest back to the ground with her staff and began to write again.

"Well, no, I don't know where I'm going." Hiccup rolled his eyes at the new question. "I thought I'd maybe a little beach vacation, or you know, go anywhere that I don't have a death sentence?"

Gothi shook her head at the boy, before adding a new statement, which seemed to catch the boy's attention. "A seer? In the Northern Isles… I don't know Gothi…" Hiccup stared at Gothi now. The woman gave a slight head nod, and as stupid as it sounded, Hiccup _felt_ it was the right thing to do. Gothi somehow had found him out here after all, and wasn't dragging him back to his father. And if Toothless trusted her, so could he. Getting up slowly, he limped to his dragon, and locked his leg into the harness. "Gothi," he said, turning back, "thank you."

The old woman nodded, her eyes giving a twinkle of knowledge. She _was_ the village elder for a reason. "Come on boy, let's go," he whispered into Toothless's ear. The duo soared off, over chaotic Berk, where the prisoner had just been declared missing, and into the black night.

* * *

 **AN:** Okay so I think that firstly, I need to start with an apology. I had some family stuff come up, so the story went on the back burner. Updates are definitely not going to be as fast as they first were, but I do have the rest planned and I know where the story is going so it shouldn't be too long before it's complete. Secondly, what did you think of the chapter? Pretty focused on the escape, but I needed this transition to set up the rest of the story. Next update will follow the fallout of the escape and the arrival at the seer's.

Thanks for all the support, Adeliner.


End file.
